Amateur baker
- Strawberry streusel cake
- My first apple pie
- Banana nut muffins, fresh bananas, coffee and some thoughts about baking
- Vanilla-mocha marble chiffon cake
- Chicken and cheese on toasted bread cups
- Oatmeal, mango and cheese pie
- Mango cream pie
- Chocolate crinkles
- Baking, Crisco and Splenda
- Food for the Gods and the accidental Christmas cake
Noche Buena
- Buko pandan
- Rolled porkloin with bacon, basil and rosemary
- Fresh tropical fruits salad
- Home grilled pork barbecue
- Ox tongue with gravy
- Fried lapu-lapu with pineapple sauce
- Tilapia fritters with honey-lemon sauce
- Adobo, quail eggs and rice
- Roast pork with mushroom sauce
- In my kitchen: taking it easy
School lunchbox
- Butter-fried fish and corn
- Sukiyaki-cut beef with Kecap Manis
- Shrimps, cabbage and bell pepper stir fry
- Buttered Pork Guinataan
- Herbed chicken and rice
- Blue marlin with hoisin sauce and sesame seeds
- Packed school lunches
- Fish and broccoli in oyster sauce
- Honey-lemon-ginger chicken
- Back to school again
Five Cows: ice cream is fine, but…
That’s the lemon torte in the photo above. If you look closely at the cream-colored layers, they are actually made of two parts — the lighter colored parts are ice cream and, below them, are the layers of iced lemon.
Here’s another photo of the same lemon torte from another angle just in case the layers are not so clear in the first photo. I was given a teaspoon with which to eat the lemon torte. No good — every part was rock hard so I asked for a dessert fork. The waitress came back with a dinner fork AND A KNIFE. I had my eyebrow raised at that point and asked again if they didn’t have a dessert fork. I mean, really, if you’re a restaurant whose menu is anchored on the desserts, you MUST HAVE dessert forks, right? But, no… Five minutes later, I realized that the waitress must have known what she was doing in giving me the dinner fork and knife.
The lemon torte was rock hard, I’ve said that already, right? So, I decided to just let the ice cream melt a little for better manageability. In five minutes, the ice cream was just fine. BUT the iced lemon remained rock hard. I mean, rock hard. When I forced the fork down through the entire height of the torte (is it really a torte when it’s that high? A torte, by definition, is something much thinner… but anyway…), the bloody thing flew in pieces — on the table, on the floor… My daughter, Sam, started cutting the “torte” with the knife — much the same way you would cut a steak.
In other words, I simply refused to finish the damn thing. You can see for yourself — half melted ice cream and iced lemon that retained its shape because it must be something closer to dry ice than ice.
Anyway, if you plan to go to Five Cows, stick with the ice cream, don’t expect a miraculous dessert experience and you’ll be okay. But you really don’t want to try the damn lemon torte.
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36 Responses to “Five Cows: ice cream is fine, but…”
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We had dinner at Five Cows two-three weeks ago, Lynn, Chateau, Cookie and I. The desserts they ordered were fine naman. I didn’t order a dessert. Lemon torte was not ordered so no disaster like yours happened.
Kaya pala knife binigay sa yo,
And I thought the knife was overkill hahahaha Speedy’s and the kids’ ice cream were okay. Sam’s bluberry rumble, especially.
haha, finally a review on five cows that sounds more realistic! i myself have been very doubtful about a resto that’s supposed to have great ice cream-based desserts BUT is using nestle ice cream. i haven’t tried five cows myself, but your post will surely help me manage my expectations better. how horrible to expect a splendid meal and not get it!!!
ina, you’re better off with Dairy Queen, believe me. And I really abhor people who rave about a resto simply because it is fashionable for the moment. hay, naku…
I am not so much for ice cream, but these pics are so …ummm… delicious. Miss ko talaga Pinas, although we are about 1 hr. drive from a well known Blue Bell Ice Cream Factory. Pag-bumili ako ng 1 gallon, ubos sa husband ko lang yon. With the entire family though, ay naku iba-iba ang gusto nilang flavor. My grandkids just go for the candy toppings.
We ate there last week and all I can say is that everything is overpriced for a so-so meal. I had a pizza that cost 160+, it’s 4″x8″ and it taste like “amag”. Yup, nothing unusual for a hefty price. Nestle ice cream? I’ve been had!
Ebba, parang family ng husband ko ah. Yung 1 gallon, parang dinaanan ng bagyo. With me and my brother, yung half gallon, 2 weeks sa freezer hehehe
Ronz, yuck! Good thing we were just there for dessert. If we had been really hungry and that’s the kind of food we’re served, naku…
hi Connie, all raves naman tong review na ito:
http://guides.clickthecity.com/metro/?p=2687
but I trust your verdict more than the other reviewer.. hehehe..
Julie, I read the article. Two people finished all that food? Asus. LOL
I read the “comments” dun sa article.. yikes ang mahal pala.. di ko kayang dalhin ang ministry staff ko pag-pumunta ako riyan sa Pinas.. hehehe, hanggang tabi-tabi lang kami eh. When I had my clown mission trip sa Quezon, inarkila ko yung sorbetero and bought all his whole contents of the sorbetes.. then he served the kids and adults.. isa nga sa dream ko yon eh.. naku po its a hit, kasi kahit anong usto nung mga bata eh inilaggay sa “apa”. Yon nga lang may limitation akong 3 scoops lang muna, and if they finish it, they can come back for more.. Ang sarap nung homemade ube, buko and manggo.
nah, they didn’t finish all the food. read again and again and again, no one said they finished everything.
hmm….you speak of Nestle like it’s a really disgusting brand that serves worms in their ice cream. What’s wrong with Nestle? Five Cows does not hide their being Nestle. In fact, they are proud to be Nestle!
I ate at Five Cows and I must say, I admire their desserts because it’s ice cream but they made it more interesting. You know how hard it is to think of new items to put in the menu? You know how much work the owners/the cook/the staff put in to make ice cream–probably the most typical dessert there is–to be more likable and different? Well, if you talked to the owners, you’ll probably know
My friend and I have were talking about how reckless bloggers are nowadays. They go on bashing people/establishments without talking to these folks first…you know, just to pinpoint the flaws and HELP in improving. Instead, when they see something not good, they broadcast it for the world to read. (crab mentality alert!) It’s not responsible at all. They have more gall if they’re “famous” in the blog sphere already. Nevertheless, that’s why blogs will be blogs. Freedom of speech is what it’s all about, yes. But don’t expect instant credibility…just yet. Credibility has to be earned. And for that to be earned, it takes real interaction with the people/establishments you write about–actual research is the key. That’s what responsible writing is
But yeah, that’s why this is just a blog and not a lifestyle website, right? 
Ms. Connie, I don’t really care if you don’t publish this comment. Knowing you read it is fine with me
Porkchips, if that is so, then one has to wonder if they were paying customers at all who could give an objective feedback.
Jenna V, on the contrary, I approved your comment just to show everyone how incapable you are of understanding what you read if you read my entry at all.Did you miss this? “we sampled what each other ordered so I can say in all honesty that the ice cream was not bad at all.”
And the way your reasoning goes, I am less credible when writing in a blog but had I said the same thing in my newspaper column, it would have had more weight. Poor, poor you. I hope you enjoyed the free meal.
Re “when they see something not good, they broadcast it for the world to read”
that’s consumer alertness, dear. Consumer right; consumer responsibility. Unlike some people, I can afford to say what I really mean, and in all honesty, because I paid for my meal.
Re “You know how much work the owners/the cook/the staff put in to make ice cream–probably the most typical dessert there is–to be more likable and different? Well, if you talked to the owners, you’ll probably know”
Crap. That is NOT my responsibility as a consumer. That is THEIR responsibility. I have NO OBLIGATION as a consumer to give a damn about what effort they put in their business. I don’t need to dance to the PR tune because I paid for my meal. And my only concern AS A CONSUMER is whether I got my money’s worth.
Re “Credibility has to be earned. And for that to be earned, it takes real interaction with the people/establishments you write about–actual research is the key”
Oh, I see. So credibility means you have to be a mouthpiece for the business you’re supposed to write an objective review about. Tsk tsk tsk Crab mentality indeed. In fact, worse. That’s outright bias. And which really makes you untrustworthy. Meanwhile, food bloggers become “famous” because of their credibility.
Finally, what the heck is a “lifestyle website”? One where writers get FREE MEALS to do reviews? LOLOLOLOL Pathetic.
Eat my dust, dear.
Hi Jenna V. This is me being nice.
hmm….you speak of Nestle like it’s a really disgusting brand that serves worms in their ice cream.
Hmmmm…. the title of the entry says the ice cream is fine. That they serve worms in their ice cream is your statement, not mine. I also wrote in the entry (can you read, dear?) that “we sampled what each other ordered so I can say in all honesty that the ice cream was not bad at all.â€
You know how hard it is to think of new items to put in the menu? You know how much work the owners/the cook/the staff put in to make ice cream–probably the most typical dessert there is–to be more likable and different?
I don’t care. I’m a consumer and my only concern is the end product and whether I got my money’s worth.
Well, if you talked to the owners, you’ll probably know.
We went there to eat, not to chitchat, nor to put in a PR pitch. I only chitchat with restaurant owners who are my friends — I don’t strike acquaintances just to get free ice cream.
My friend and I have were talking about how reckless bloggers are nowadays.
You’ve been reading the wrong blogs. Stick to mine and you’ll only get real recipes with photos untouched by the filthy food styling and HONEST reviews.
you know, just to pinpoint the flaws and HELP in improving. Instead, when they see something not good, they broadcast it for the world to read. (crab mentality alert!) It’s not responsible at all.
I see. Sooooo… the function of a blogger is to HELP businesses, only write glowing reviews and shut up when the experience is bad. In order to be a NOT reckless blogger, we bloggers should be ONLY concerned about NOT HURTING the feelings of the business owners and their marketing teams. Ooooooh, I see. Honesty and candor don’t figure in your equation, does it, dear? Amazing ethics you got there.
They have more gall if they’re “famous†in the blog sphere already.
Oooooooh, I see. If a well-known blogger writes a negative review, it is gall. Honesty doesn’t count, right? It’s just gall. But if an unknown writer receives free meals and writes glowing reviews, chitchatting with owners and being very careful with words so as not to hurt them, even if it means withholding from the public, it is what? It is being responsible, right? You are reaaaalllly something.
Credibility has to be earned. And for that to be earned, it takes real interaction with the people/establishments you write about–actual research is the key.
Ooooohhh, I really need to repeat what I struck out above: Oh, I see. So credibility means you have to be a mouthpiece for the business you’re supposed to write an objective review about. Tsk tsk tsk Crab mentality indeed. In fact, worse. That’s outright bias. And which really makes you untrustworthy.
that’s why this is just a blog and not a lifestyle website.
Yep, proudly just a blog, with all its honesty and candor, and not a lifestyle website. A lifestyle website is one where writers get FREE MEALS to do reviews, after all.
Ms. Connie, I don’t really care if you don’t publish this comment. Knowing you read it is fine with me
Oh, come on. Why should I keep you a secret? The public deserves to read your twisted logic and perverted values.
hahaha! i had fun reading your replies ms. connie. even the first part.
way to go!
hey, i saw your website in one of the comments in clickthecity. you’re getting more hits because of that site! you should thank them! hahaha
btw, you seriously crack me up. you always make my day! i hope you approve my comment! i heard from my other blogger friends (you are quite notorious, be proud!) that you do not approve comments that make you look bad or poke fun at how you’re a stay-at-home mom who’s bored with her life so she picks fights online (haha i base this from the transcript above) how true is that?
Hi Marcus. Traffic’s the same so Clickthecity isn’t sending any extraordinary traffic.
Me notorious? La lala La lala Hahahahaha
“you do not approve comments that make you look bad”
I do not approve comments that attack me personally instead of addressing the issue. There’s a difference but of course stupid people don’t see that. Of course, there are exceptions. Like Jenna V above LOL
Pick fights online? Sooooo… if a guy writes negative opinion about anything, and defends it, it is opinion. But if a stay at home mom does the same, it is picking a fight? Amazing.
Me bored with life? Hmmmm… perhaps, if I had five househelpers, a personal driver, a secretary and all I had to do was make chikka chikka with other bloggers (o, yung mga ibang mommy bloggers dyan, bato-bato sa langit), I can afford to be a bored housewife LOL
Hay, Marcus, better ask your blogger friends if they have even met me or talked to me to be able to judge what I am.
Hi Mommy Connie! Yep, in fact they’ve met you hehehe
Why do you have to write this? –(o, yung mga ibang mommy bloggers dyan, bato-bato sa langit)
Isn’t that called picking a fight? ‘Cos seriously dude, they ‘re not doing anything to you, why even mention them?
I didn’t want to read your lengthy reply to Jenna V, but I guess I had to so I can really understand what my blogger friends have been talking about. And well, unfortunately, you did twist around everything the girl said. You put words in her mouth. Do lawyers always do that?
Anyway, I hope you still approve this comment! I’m just clarifying things here! Good night!
Hi Marcus, since your bias is obvious, and since you already believe what you have heard and you’ve made up your mind, why should I bother?
Yep, in fact they’ve met you
Sure. Anyone can say that. ANYONE, including you.
Why do you have to write this? –(o, yung mga ibang mommy bloggers dyan, bato-bato sa langit)
Obviously, that’s not meant for you so why should it concern you?
I twisted Jenna’s words? I didn’t have to do that. She was already too twisted.
Do lawyers always do that?
Ahhh, there’s the rub. The hidden sarcasm. The intent to flame.
Anyway, I hope you still approve this comment! I’m just clarifying things here!
Sure, but you’re not trying to clarify anything. You’re malicously trying to provoke me.
Good night!
Get a life, Marcus. You need one.
aw too bad you didn’t clarify anything! you just dodged the stuff that needed clarifying
anyway, i wanted to know if lawyers are really like that because i’m a lawyer by profession and well, i’m discovering the different mindsets of people in my field
i’m one of the few who actually like to believe that not all lawyers twist things in favor of themselves, that some really do listen first without steam in their head 
i guess i might as well give up that hope then. thanks for the time connie! i hope you approve this! good night!
hi there, i just read your review here after the link in clickthecity (and reading the article over there too). i think it’s great that you’re expressing your opinions and it is really very refreshingly honest, but i think there’s no need to be aggressive to the author of the other site. sure her opinion may differ from yours but from reading your comment on clickthecity, i am convinced you’ve already made a number of assumptions about her, and i don’t think that’s fair. from the looks of it, clickthecity and pinoycook have different scopes and objectives and therefore, your opinions will sometimes (maybe most of the time, hehe) differ. i guess what i am trying to say is that polite dialogue is always good, no need to bare those fangs.
with that said, i’m looking forward to more articles. 
Marcus, I’ll say it again, get a life. All those smiley faces on your comment don’t hide the fact that it is ME you dislike as a person and your comment has nothing to do with MY OPINION. Being a lawyer, as you CLAIM, the inability to separate issue from personality is really, really sad. Pathetic, in fact. That’s your last comment in this blog. You’re not raising any real issues, you’re not contributing to the discussion, you’re just bullshitting me. I’m sure you’ll be regaling your friends with stories about getting banned, but you will NEVER tell them why. That’s how it is with the likes of you. I know YOUR KIND. Just as I know that all your comments were geared towards getting banned, being careful to insert all the smileys so you cannot be accused of foul language, just so you can tell your friends, oh you’re right because she banned me. Pathetic.
Reuben, I appreciate your candor but to each his own. I do not value politeness over honesty and candor. As to my assumptions not being fair, my goodness gracious me, the obviousness was all over that article — assumptions weren’t necessary. It was a “lifestyle” article through and through.
hmmm, pwede naman maging honest pero polite pa rin. kaya ‘di umaasenso pilipinas eh, daming mainit ang ulo. eh puwede namang daanin sa magandang usapan. tsktsk. at saka, nabasa ko pala yung clickthecity article, hindi sya food review, sinabi na rin nung author. feature article sya. at saka, nagustuhan niya yung food eh, ‘wag mong sabihin dishonest na siya dahil binayaran siya para ‘don. yun yung point ng feature writing, gets? iffeature mo sila, hindi irreview. so sana ‘wag nalang i-compare dahil magkaibang-magkaiba yun. kung ikaw, may complaints ka sa kinainan mong resto, eh ‘di sana dun ka nag-complain, yun yung sinasabi mong consumer alertness. at ang consumer responsibility, kasali don ang pag-take action gaya ng pagsabi sa resto na “HOY KUYA ‘DI MASARAP UNG ICE CREAM NIYO,” hindi yung magrereklamo ka lang kung saan safe, which is sa blog mo nga. kung consumer responsibility nga ang gusto mo, sorry pero namiss mo yung point nya totally.
Why do you have to bash other people’s reviews just because they had a nice experience??
The frozen lemon tarte started all YOUR BITTERNESS. well too bad you had one.(maybe you deserve it!). now, GET OVER IT!
ACCEPT that their experience is DIFFERENT from yours!
Yawns @ Deena and JJ and wonders kung bakit sila nakikisawsaw sa issue eh hindi naman sila ang kumain o nagsulat..
Deena, kaya hindi umaasenso Pilipinas, maraming intrigera at intrigero.
JJ, get a brain. Everyone has moved on except for flamers and intriguers like you.
And this is for Deena, Marcus and Jenna too as well as JJ: I’ve been so generous with the space and in allowing your comments when they are NOT EVEN RELATED TO THE ENTRY. If you don’t like me as a person, don’t read my blog for goodness’ sakes. Go to those sites where writers get paid to write reviews (feature, my ass).
From this point onward, any comment that is NOT related to the entry will be deleted.
Hi Connie,
Eating at Five Cows is definitely a hit or miss thing.
I actually enjoyed my first two times at Five Cows were I ordered their Peter Piper ice cream cake. It had the right hardness (not ice cold and not gooey) and it was very very good!
However, the third time I went there, my aunt ordered the Flaming Alaska and it was quite a disaster. The server even got a burn!
Anyway, the whole thing was rock solid and I had to really stab (? - just imagine me with an ice pick having a go at it) it several times to get the thing broken apart.
Long story short, we barely ate half of it, and we were 6 people trying to finish the whole thing!
Anyway, next time I go back, I’m making sure to avoid the Flaming Alaska (which is one of their specialties) and their Lemon Torte.
I now know to just stick to the stuff I’m sure I’ll like.
Oops! Noticed a typo…
“… two times at Five Cows WHERE I ordered their…”
I’m a dessert lover.. and i usually go to five cows when i’m in trinoma. I actually love their lemon torte ice cream cake, right balance of sweetness and sour taste. Iba ibang tao, ibat ibang opinion. It’s an acquired taste kasi.
“Iba ibang tao, ibat ibang opinion.”
True. Iba iba rin ang standard ng mga tao. Like some people find Saisaki to be the ultimate in Japanese food when in fact Saisaki food is of poor quality. But if Saisaki’s the only Japanese food he has had, what is there to compare it with?
Still, everyone’s honest opinion should be respected. Paid opinion not included, of course.
It is admirable that you presented another side of Five Cows - their unbearably hard rock lemon torte, that made your dining experience disastrous.
But I disagree to what you just said,
“Still, everyone’s honest opinion should be respected. Paid opinion not included, of course.”
You can choose to not believe in “paid opinion,” instead of professing that it doesn’t deserve any respect.
Therese, you’re presuming that paid opinion is honest and objective? LOL Paid opinion is part of the culture of corruption. That does NOT deserve any respect.
Hi Connie,
Wow, flame war over Five Cows!!! Anyway, two friends and I went to try it out three weeks ago, and I would have forgotten all about it if I hadn’t stumbled on your post. We had the blueberry crumble and an ice cream cake. I liked the crumble, but the cake was, like yours, rock hard. We asked and received a knife (serrated!) to tackle it. I don’t think the Haagen Dazs ice cream cakes are that hard.
Another area that 5 cows should work on is general cleanliness. Our table’s surface was tacky. And they only had a questionable looking rag to wipe it down. We resorted to asking for lots of paper towels to cover the surface.
Mila, alam mo naman — corruption is everywhere, not just in government. The business and PR partnership has a huge role in keeping the public in the dark.
Thanks, Miss Connie! To think, I’ve been itching to try Five Cows because of the clickthecity and shopcrazy reviews. Hindi na lang. I rather have my ice cream fix at Friulli in UP Village, affordable pa. Or bibili na lang ako ng Nestle ice cream in a nearby MiniStop.
Hi Connie. I read an article of Boy Abunda in the Philstar about Five Cows. So I googled it to see more reviews and came across yours. Wow, mahal pala dun. Seems like, based on the comments, while their ice creams concoctions are OK, their ice cream cakes are not. I would have wanted to try the Flaming Alaska, had it not been for one of the comments.
I’m glad there are blogs like these, they give people a chance to search for feedback first on the restaurant/product/etc before they try it themselves. (Sad though about the flame war, it’s juicy at first then it gets tiring). I just googled for “Five Cows” now because I’ve started reading rave reviews about it in the papers and wondered how that could be when we had such a bad first impression.
We had lunch in Five Cows when Trinoma had just had its soft opening. I forget what we ordered for the main dish since it was, well, forgettable, but I do remember the dessert was Ferrero Crunch Supreme because it sounded so promising. For some reason, when the actual dessert arrived it was only one third of the size of the same dessert I keep seeing now in the pictures in articles. The ice cream barely filled the glass. I can only conclude the improvement in serving size must be due to what we wrote on the comment slip they provided us, and probably feedback from a lot of other customers. The entire meal was very expensive (for the likes of us), and we did not think we got value for our money.
Who knows, maybe it’s improved since we last tried it. In the meantime, I’ll just browse through some more food blogs to see if there are any other places to try.